Battling Lupus, Silcox grateful and ‘blown away’ by support

Friday

Oct 25, 2013 at 9:36 AM

At Thursday benefit, she says she’s trying to adjust to her new life

Jess Bengtson

A benefit for Katie Silcox took over Heritage Hallway and the Cafeteria at RiverView Health on Thursday. Employees of the hospital and folks from around town gathered to bid on items from the silent auction, purchase baked goodies, submit raffle tickets, sample the baked potato bar and most importantly, talk to Katie.

Katie, a former RiverView colleague who worked at New Horizons, first started to feel sick this spring and before she knew what was happening, ended up in the hospital. In May, she was transferred from RiverView to Mayo Clinic in Rochester where she spent 3 weeks waiting to find out what exactly was wrong. Doctors finally diagnosed her with Systemic Lupus which caused kidney failure, her central nervous system to act up and acute lung disease. On top of all that, her hips and intestines have had damage too.

Katie's mom, Lori Silcox, has been a nurse at RiverView for 10 years and has been by her side since the beginning.

Lori says, "Katie is my 20 year old, my baby. I'm her mom and I'll always be there for her."

Katie tearfully thanks her mom for everything and says she "couldn't have done it without her."

Katie is finally moved back home to Crookston where she monitors her seizures and tries out new medications.

Lori mentioned that, "We're also working on her energy levels and she is learning to live a new life."

Katie hopes to start back at the University of Minnesota Crookston soon and get into assisted living so she can be more independent. "I finally get to sleep in my own bed when I'm done with doctor visits," boasted Katie. Traveling has taken a toll on the Silcox family and they can now get back to living their lives at home.

A few people who assisted with the benefit include Sue Palmer, Kathy Michaels and the "3rd floor ladies." Pam and Mary from surgery and Eileen in anesthesia were also big contributors. The Silcox ladies mentioned there were tons of people who have not only helped with the benefit, but provided support in other ways. Katie said she was "grateful and blown away" by the turnout of the day. After her chat with the Times, she continued to move around the hallway with a smile on her face and eager to strike up conversation with visitors.